Thoughts on Public Restrooms

It's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep so I'm gonna take this opportunity to vent. As you may or may not know, I visit a LOT of public restrooms. I rate all of them in my head - and not just for things like if they happen to be well-stocked and clean. Here are just a few of my views.

Don't you hate it when the automatic flushing toilet flushes your toilet seat cover before you've even sat down? Here's a hint: Rip out the center completely. If you do, and the toilet does flush, it won't take your ever important seat cover with it. Keep in mind, this is what takes me so long in the bathroom. I'm carefully ripping out the center of my toilet seat cover.

I do not understand bathrooms that do not provide toilet seat covers. When Jon and I honeymooned in California earlier this year, I noticed that every single public restroom in CA has those things. Why not in Utah? Is there a law? I say we find out, copy it, and enforce it here. Don't make me line the seat with toilet paper! T.P. liners always go down in premature automatic flushes!

On the other hand, I also noticed in California, their bathrooms are LOCKED down tight. Only if you can prove you're a paying customer are you allowed in to use their facilities. So, if I had to choose, I'd risk not having toilet seat covers. One's annoying, the other's intolerable.

I am convinced that men originally designed and continue to install the bathroom stalls that have 1/2" wide gaps. Not because men are bad people, but because they seem to lack, uh, shall we say, modesty. Hey, they find standing at urinals with no doors perfectly acceptable!?! They could care less who sees them sitting on the commode. I'm pretty sure it was women who insisted outhouses have doors. But, when I'm at work, I would really like to have just a tad bit more privacy than currently provided.

Highly rated restrooms have tight enclosures with no gaps to prevent the ever feared, accidental eye contact with someone walking past. This could be just me. Honestly, I've never discussed some of these thoughts with anyone.

Something else I LOVE - newsletters on the back of bathroom stall doors. Providing reading material while in the john, now THAT is customer service! Only two places I've seen this, WiseGuys Comedy Cafe and Cottonwood Country Club where Jon and I got married. As a marketing junkie, this should be so HOT!

Have you ever been in a public restroom, thinking you were the only one in there, and suddenly hear someone while you're washing your hands? I always hope I wasn't talking to myself out loud. This could be an age thing, I don't know that I used to speak so loudly in my brain.

Automatic sinks that DO NOT go on or STAY on. I think they really thought this was going to be more convenient. I love the ideal of not having to touch any handles to turn the water on (while your hands are germy) and then off (touching germy handles with clean hands). HOWEVER, I really don't think they considered the impact of women (and hopefully men) wandering up and down rows of sinks trying to magically "wave" their hands just right to get the stupid water on! Now, I even see this at the automated towel dispensers. And yet, I get how those work and seem to easily master all I encounter. So I would think the same concept would apply to sinks, right? Apparently not. If you have no idea about what I'm talking about, please visit a WalMart and try to wash your hands - you'll be with me in no time. If, by chance, you know this secret, PLEASE share! I'm dying to know. And why don't they make a sign? If you have to tell employees to wash their hands, tell them how to turn the water on so the rest of us can figure it out!

Who's with me??? Or was this entirely too much information?

Love, Peace, and Joy

XOXOXOXOX